National Treasure: Edge of History: I'm a Ghost

December 18, 2022 1:00 AM - Season 1, Episode 1

After meeting a stranger, Jess learns the father she never knew may have been a treasure hunter.
posted by Carillon (4 comments total)

I wanted to love this and I think so far I just enjoy it? Part of that is my own hang-ups. The show seems to be shot so that the images seem super plasticy, almost hyper real? It's very old of me I'm sure to say this, but it definitely brought me out of the story when the shots would look like that. Otherwise, I love the National Treasure series, so excited to see where this goes, but definitely more in a YA direction than the movies. Not a bad thing, but just different. The actors though do seem like they're excited and performances are pretty good. I do wish the puzzles or lore were a bit more obscure. Also the concept that it's about indigenous people helping to reclaim their own heritage is great and really cool, but why would the Maya, Aztec, and Incan civilizations work together for Montezuma?
posted by Carillon at 1:05 AM on December 18, 2022

Great concept, but I bounced off the YA. It feels very wholesome, and maybe bounced off of that too.
posted by porpoise at 4:32 PM on December 18, 2022 [2 favorites]

I write about this episode after having seen it, and most of the second, so I'm a bit spoiled to how things progress.

That said, I was pretty excited at the prospect of National Treasure spin off based on my own enjoyment of the films. It took forever for me to remember where Harvey Keitel's character fit into the films, so it existed as a nagging itch that I refused to satisfy with a simple google search (Because why go the easy route?). Beyond that, the initial introduction of our main characters was fine and I overall enjoy the casting (was surprised and delighted by Catherine Zeta-Jones' appearance). Before I cast any criticism about how quickly our heroine Jess solves the problems, I just have to remember how swiftly Nicolas Cage's character burned through puzzles and questions, or anyone, for that matter in the films. The films really are built on a roller coaster approach of moving fast from one cliff hanger type moment to another.

The setup, I agree, is interesting rooting it in indigenous women working to protect their people's treasure. I'm not sure what would make the show fall into Young Adult, as it's essentially a lot like the films, other than the characters are younger CW types?
posted by Atreides at 8:32 AM on January 9, 2023 [1 favorite]

The characters are "of that age" and "figuring (social/ self) things out."

I'm too cynical (and old - time is more precious) to put up with more of that same old stuff that stretches the demographics down to cover the tweens.
posted by porpoise at 6:39 PM on January 14, 2023